<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Every Step by SerendipitousLyss</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27611411">Every Step</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerendipitousLyss/pseuds/SerendipitousLyss'>SerendipitousLyss</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Drunken Confessions, F/M, First Kiss, Flirting, Fluff and Angst, Grief/Mourning, Kissing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-07 02:29:12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,573</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27611411</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SerendipitousLyss/pseuds/SerendipitousLyss</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Chrom laughs quietly, which Robin is glad for; she hasn’t heard him so much as giggle the whole way back to Ylisstol. She cracks a smile in return, and doesn’t shy away when Chrom leans his back against the railing at her side, his arm brushing against her shoulder. "You gave me a good reason to get out, though, after you disappeared like that. I told the others I’d look for you.”</p><p>Robin smiles softly. “Well, you found me,” she murmurs lightheartedly.</p><p>Chrom falls silent for a moment, each breath of his sending clouds of fog into the air, until he finally says, “It’s hard to celebrate when I keep seeing her face every time I close my eyes.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Chrom/My Unit | Reflet | Robin, F!Robin/Chrom</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>94</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Every Step</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Hi everyone! I recently finished Awakening for the first time (technically, since I gave up on the final level of my first playthrough lol), and it reminded me of how much I love Robin and Chrom. So have some fluff and angst!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Robin leans her back against the veranda railing, letting out a long breath that turns to fog in the crisp late-autumn air and dissipates in front of her face. Through the doors across the deck from her, she can hear the loud laughter and banter of the celebration continuing on without her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Though their victory over Gangrel in his own castle is certainly a victory worth being excited over, Robin finds herself far too exhausted and overwhelmed to celebrate for long. They’d marched straight home to Ylisstol after felling the Mad King, practically dragging their feet with every step, but now that they’d finally returned, some of the more rambunctious members of their party had taken it upon themselves to throw an impromptu party over their narrow success. It hadn’t been long before the wine was flowing freely and even the shiest of their comrades had gotten roped into one of Vaike’s famous drinking games.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robin herself is more than a little buzzed, having put up with the festivities for upwards of a few hours before finally excusing herself to get some fresh air and enjoy the quiet for a little while. Her head is pleasantly foggy, a welcome distraction from the memories of the war that she hesitates to linger on. Just for a night, she’d like to banish the thought of Emmeryn, falling from the clifftops in slow motion, from her brain, but at the same time she’s loathe to dismiss it; every one of her memories feels precious to her now that there are so few of them to go around.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Groaning softly, the tips her head back and stares up at the night sky past the edge of the veranda’s roof. She traces the stars with her eyes and is frustrated to find that she can’t point out a single constellation. Perhaps she’s known each one of them by name, or perhaps she’d never learned them in the first place. Either way, her inability to know for certain is a constant frustration, and the gaps in her memory are an ever-present source of doubt. She grimaces, shifting restlessly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The cold metal of the railing bites into her back and bare arms as she moves, and she realizes with a start that she’s forgotten her coat amongst the chaos inside. A shiver runs up her spine in response to it, and she breathes out another cloud of cold steam. She doesn’t remember taking it off.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few seconds of staring upwards, she flips around and leans her arms against the railing, staring down into the city far below her. The lights of the main streets are still bright, and she has no doubt that countless similar parties to the one she’s attending are currently raging among the townspeople of Ylisstol as they celebrate the return of their prince and mourn the death of their Exalt. “What a confusing few days it’s been,” she sighs to herself, leaning down to rest her forehead against the cold rail. It chills her instantly, and she suppresses another shiver. She wonders if the alcohol in her system is making her sluggish, or if she’s just worn to the bone from all the marching and fighting of the last few days. She suspects it’s likely a little of both.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“There you are. I’ve been looking for you all over,” comes a call from behind her, and Robin doesn’t need to lift her head to know that it’s Chrom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>His voice has become intimately familiar to her over the whirlwind that’s been her last few months, and she can’t help but crack a smile. She lifts her head and glances over her shoulder to meet his familiar gaze with her own. “Sick of partying?” she asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chrom returns the small smile with one of his own. “I’ve never been one for boisterous celebrations. I think I’ll let the others enjoy themselves instead,” he replies, crossing the deck in a few long strides to stand beside her. He unfolds a bundle of fabric that he has draped over one arm and tucks it around her shoulders in one swift movement, and it’s then that Robin realizes that it’s her coat. Her surprise must show on her face, because he adds, “You left it draped over your chair. I figured you were probably cold without it.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robin flushes in response to Chrom’s words, half embarrassed at her forgetfulness and half touched that he’d been thoughtful enough to bring it with him. Briefly, she wonders if the rush of blood to her face is in response to this, or a result of her slightly drunken state. “Says the man with only one sleeve,” she retorts quietly, but it doesn’t keep her from reaching up and tugging the warm coat more tightly around her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chrom laughs quietly, which Robin is glad for; she hasn’t heard him so much as giggle the whole way back to Ylisstol. She cracks a smile in return, and doesn’t shy away when Chrom leans his back against the railing at her side, his arm brushing against her shoulder. “The cold feels good. It’s hot as dragon’s fire inside,” he says. “You gave me a good reason to get out, though, after you disappeared like that. I told the others I’d look for you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robin smiles softly. “Well, you found me,” she murmurs lightheartedly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chrom falls silent for a moment, each breath of his sending clouds of fog into the air, until he finally says, “It’s hard to celebrate when I keep seeing her face every time I close my eyes.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robin’s own breaths catch in her throat, and she swallows back the lump that forms in response to his words. She chances a sideways glance up at Chrom’s face and finds him staring up at the veranda’s ceiling, sorrow etched into every line of his expression. Her heart clenches in her chest. Reaching out, she lays a hand on his arm in what she hopes is a comforting gesture. “I wish I could do more,” she says, so quietly it’s nearly a whisper, but no matter how much she wants to, she knows that there is nothing she can do that can take away Chrom’s pain. It’s incredibly hard to see him look so beaten down. She knows that he’s been pushing himself nonstop for the last few days, barely slowing down to think amidst the fighting and marching and his countless other duties. She doubts he’s had a chance to properly grieve yet.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She watches as he blinks, the motion sending a single tear trailing down his cheek. Despite his obvious distress, however, he musters up a tiny smile for her sake. “You’ve done plenty already,” he replies. He reaches his hand up to pull hers away from his arm, and for a moment she’s worried that she’s done something wrong, but he doesn’t drop her hand once it’s been removed. Briefly, she wonders if it’s his way of seeking out her comfort.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Perhaps it’s the wine that makes it do her, but in a surge of bravery, she shifts her grip on Chrom’s hand, threading her fingers between his and giving them a comforting squeeze. “I meant everything I said,” she says suddenly, “about us being greater together. I know you’re overwhelmed by… everything that’s happened. You’ve been put into a position that no man should have to be in, but I promise, you won’t be alone.” She straightens herself up from the railing as Chrom watches her, untangling her fingers from his so she can reach up with her ungloved hand and brush away the tear that clings to his jaw. She lingers there, the warmth of his skin seeping into her cold fingertips. “I’ll be with you every step of the way. No matter what, I will not abandon you, because you have </span>
  <em>
    <span>never</span>
  </em>
  <span> abandoned me.” Her voice trembles against her will as she emphasizes each word. She wants him to understand the emotion behind her words, wants him to know without a doubt that her words are true.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Chrom simply stares, his mouth half-open in shock. Then his expression softens some, eyebrows drawing together solemnly, and he leans ever-so-slightly into her touch. “You’ve done so much for me, more than I can ever repay you for,” he says, glancing down and to the side as though unable to meet her gaze any longer. “Thank you… for never giving up on me.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The sight of the small, sweet, sincere smile that blooms on Chrom’s face is enough to make Robin a little weak in the knees, or perhaps the wine is really starting to get to her. She’s not sure which is to blame, but in the end, it doesn’t make a difference. Her mind turns to fog, and she leans forward, both involuntarily and fully aware of her movements. She strokes her thumb briefly along Chrom’s cheek, where her branded hand still rests, then rocks up onto the tips of her toes to draw Chrom’s jaw her way and press a short, chaste kiss against his lips. It hardly lingers two seconds before she pulls back, but it’s enough to short-circuit her brain, which struggles to catch up with her own actions in her alcohol-ridden state.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She takes in Chrom’s stunned expression and cherry-red face, and it’s then that her mind catches up with her body. Her eyes snap wide open, and she feels her heart plummet into her stomach. That hadn’t been what she’d meant to do at all! And yet, now it was already done.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I-” she starts, intending to sputter out an apology that will likely do nothing to appease the tension in the air, but before she can get out another word, Chrom surges suddenly forward and claims her lips in another kiss, this one more forceful and much deeper than the one she’d given to him. She lets out a noise of surprise against his mouth and stumbles back a step, but Chrom catches her around her waist, his steadying palm pressed against the small of her back to keep her upright. The hand on his jaw travels down to rest at the juncture between his neck and his shoulder, pulling him ever closer to her. She can taste wine and something stronger on his tongue, and when they separate, she blinks a few times. “Chrom, are you drunk?” she asks, astonished.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chrom hums, and suddenly the pink of his cheeks appears to have more than one origin. “I may have had a few drinks,” he admits, a smirk growing on his face as he does.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a moment, Robin is speechless, and then a fit of giggles bubbles up in her throat. She tips her forehead against Chrom’s chest to hide her mirth as she laughs, hands holding tight to his shoulders as he continues to steady her with his hands on her hips. “I admit, this isn’t how I expected this to go,” she manages around her laughter, and she’s pleased to hear a few rumbles of laughter from Chrom as well, which echo pleasantly from where her head rests against his chest and send shivers of excitement racing down her spine.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m not that drunk, promise,” Chrom says, dropping his head to plant a quick kiss against Robin’s temple. “I’ve… kind of been wanting to do that for a while.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robin snorts out a laugh, raising her head so she can once again look at his face. “Me too,” she admits quietly, a smile blooming on her face. If she’d been a little tipsy before, she’s downright giddy now, drunk on the rush of new emotions she feels and the racing thoughts that fill her mind. She rubs her thumb over the brand at Chrom’s shoulder affectionately, feels the goosebumps that raise along his wind-cooled skin in response to her touch. She takes a breath, glancing up to meet his gaze once more. “Chrom?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chrom hums in response, an inquisitive noise that prompts her to continue.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robin swallows nervously, little flutters of anxiety lighting in her stomach despite the fact that she knows she has nothing to fear. “Things are going to be tough from now on, especially for you, but you don’t have to do it alone. I’ll always be here for you, I promise,” she says quietly, finally. “I love you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chrom smiles, a smile filled with adoration that Robin has never seen on his face before. Her heart swells at the sight of it; she thinks that she would definitely like to see that face on him more often. There are tears on his cheeks again, but this time she knows that they are not tears of sorrow. He pulls her against him in an embrace, his strong arms wrapping around her shoulders, and she squeezes him back around his middle. She revels in the safety she feels here, on the veranda overlooking Ylisstol, her cheek pressed against Chrom’s shoulder and his chin resting on hers. For just a moment, nothing can harm her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I love you, too,” Chrom whispers into her hair, but even as he does, Robin feels his arms trembling.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She rubs her hand up and down his back, attempting to offer her comfort in what she can only assume is an intensely emotional moment for him. If her own sadness over Emmeryn’s sacrifice feels like a knife in her chest, she can’t even imagine the kind of turmoil on Chrom’s mind.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>For a few minutes, she simply allows Chrom to cling to her, offering what comfort she can, but eventually she pulls out of the embrace. She reaches for Chrom’s hand with one of hers, fitting her fingers between his. “We should head back inside before someone decides to send a search party out for us,” she suggests, offering up a little joking smile.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Chrom only grimaces in reply despite her attempts at humor. “A celebration like this just… doesn’t feel right without Emm,” he admits, but he takes a breath anyway, straightening his slumped shoulders and lifting his head. “You’re probably right, though. I wouldn’t put it past Frederick to come after me myself. I just wish I didn’t have to.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robin gives his hand a reassuring squeeze. “You deserve a little bit of happiness. You’ve earned it,” she says softly, rubbing her thumb over the back of his gloved hand. “Even if it’s just for tonight. No one expects you to get over it in just a few days. There will be plenty of time to grieve, so, even if it’s just for a little while… let’s enjoy our victory. Okay?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>A small smile breaks out on Chrom’s face, soft and genuine. “Has anyone ever told you how wise you are?” he asks.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Robin hums, a little grin playing across her face. “I think a certain prince could do good to mention it a bit more often,” she teases, and softens at the soft chuckle it manages to get out of Chrom.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Is that so? I’ll have to let him know,” he shoots right back, and Robin’s grin broadens slightly. It’s good to see him in a better mood, even if she knows it can’t last forever. Eventually, they’ll both need to confront Emmeryn’s death and all the political upheaval that comes with it, but for now, Robin leads Chrom by the hand, determined to enjoy the night’s celebrations. If nothing else, she knows she can do this much.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thanks for reading! If you have any questions or prompts for me, you can find me on tumblr @serendipitouslyss and on twitter @serenlyss.</p></blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>